Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gaurov Dayal discusses hospital preparations for swine flu as well as health information for the community in stories that appear in today's Washington Post and several editions of the Montgomery County Gazette. Both stories are included below.

As people across the Washington region scrutinized every sniffle and cough for signs of swine flu yesterday, officials focused on educating residents about preventive measures they can take to avoid contracting the virus.

The advice was basic but important: Wash hands regularly; cover coughs; and stay home if sick.

Meanwhile, residents of the region weighed whether to curtail trips to the mall and other public areas and wondered if it was inevitable -- as Maryland health officials predicted Monday -- that swine flu would surface here.

"In Washington, it doesn't seem like we're gonna be able to escape it w

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital allergist, Dr. Heidi Isenberg-Feig discusses cow's milk allergies in children in a story that appears in several editions of today's Montgomery County Gazette. Dr. Isenberg-Feig shares information about symptoms of the allergy as well as tips for parents whose children have food allergies.

For the Goldberg family of Potomac, going to the park or a birthday party with their two young sons often means worrying that their children will come into contact with a dairy product. For many children, this is an everyday occurrence, but for 3-year-old Ari and 20-month-old Julian, it could mean death.

Both of the boys suffer from life-threatening food allergies that require the family to take special precautions. Both are allergic to milk and dairy, and Julian is also allergic to sesame and peanuts. While many parents may be aware that a peanut allergy can be life-threatening, fewer are aware that the same is true for cow's milk allergy, according to the boys' mother, Victoria.

The family carefully monitors everything the boys eat and come into contact with. But despite the family's diligence, Ari has twice experienced anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction. "It's hard to explain to parents of kids who don't have life-threatening allergies how stressful it can be," Victoria Goldberg said. Some may confuse a cow's milk allergy with lactose intolerance, or assume that a reaction might be mild. "I don't think [some parents] understand that for some kids

In The News- Gazette Story on Shady Grove's New Peds ED - Thursday, May 21, 2009

Several editions of today's Montgomery County Gazette include a story about Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's new pediatric emergency department, which will open next week. The story includes quotes from Dennis Hansen, president of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Dr. Gaurov Dayal, chief medical officer at Shady Grove, and Dr. Scott Freedman, medical director of Shady Grove's pediatric emergency department.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/05132009/rocknew211402_32523.shtml

Shady Grove to open new pediatric ER

Department features 17 beds, offers more privacy for young patients, officials say

by Nathan Carrick

Officials from Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville cut a ribbon last week on a new, larger pediatric emergency department that will give young patients more privacy when they arrive for treatment.

The 17-bed, 3,400-square-foot emergency department is part of the hospitals' four year, $100 million expansion and renovation project, and will provide care to more than 24,000 children a year, hospital officials said.

"This space will serve as an instrument in the hands of dedicated, talented caregivers," Shady Grove Adventist Hospital President Dennis Hansen said. "They will have a better instrument to play, so to speak."

The newly constructed unit will officially open on May 20, as equipment and patients are transferred from the old pediatric emergency department.

The old pediatric emergency department opened in 1996. The hospital has a 25-bed pediatric unit for lo

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gaurov Dayal is quoted in today's Montgomery County Gazette in a story about the reopening of Rockville High School after a suspected case of swine flu case. In the story, Dr. Dayal discusses tips for the community to help avoid the spread of swine flu as well as steps that the hospital is taking for patients who arrive with flu symptoms.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/05062009/montnew175429_32521.shtml

Rockville High reopens in wake of CDC reversal

Authorities rule that swine flu outbreak isn't as serious as was feared

by C. Benjamin Ford

Rockville High School will reopen today after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta changed its recommendation to close schools where there were probable cases of swine flu among students or staff.

The decision to reopen came just a day after Maryland closed a sixth school because of a suspected swine flu case and after officials denied an appeal by Montgomery County's superintendent to reopen Rockville High. On Monday night, a second Rockville High student was described as having a probable case of swine flu.

So far, the CDC has confirmed four cases of swine flu among Maryland's 15 suspected cases.

On Tuesday, however, the CDC reversed course and reported that there no longer was a reason to close schools when there were probable cases of the swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, because the outb